ROME -- Most countries in Europe and North America have reversed centuries of deforestation and are showing an increase in forest area, while most developing countries, especially in tropical areas, continue to experience high rates of deforestation, a U.N. agency said Tuesday.

The Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organization said in its biannual report on the State of the World's Forests that more attention is being paid to the conservation of soil, water and biological diversity.

However, poor or conflict-stricken countries still face serious challenges in managing their forests, the agency said.

Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean are currently the regions with the highest losses. Africa, which accounts for about 16 percent of the global forests, lost over 9 percent of its trees between 1990 and 2005, the agency said.

Forests cover just under 4 billion hectares (9.88 billion acres), about 30 percent of the world's land area.

From 1990 to 2005, the world lost 3 percent of its total forest area, an average decrease of some 0.2 percent per year, the agency said.